Juneteenth in STEMM and the barriers to equitable science.

We are 52 Black scientists. Here, we establish the context of Juneteenth in STEMM and discuss the barriers Black scientists face, the struggles they endure, and the lack of recognition they receive. We review racism's history in science and provide institutional-level solutions to reduce the burdens on Black scientists.

Learning from HBCUs: How to produce Black professionals in STEMM.

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) offer high-quality education and produce leaders from various backgrounds, mainly being African American. Predominately White institutions can utilize practices that make HBCUs successful to mentor and graduate students of all backgrounds. We also suggest ways to bolster HBCUs so they can train more students.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Laboratory: Strategies to Enhance Inclusive Laboratory Culture.

Building a diverse laboratory that is equitable is critical for the retention of talent and the growth of trainees professionally and personally. Here, we outline several strategies including enhancing understanding of cultural competency and humility, establishing laboratory values, and developing equitable laboratory structures to create an inclusive laboratory environment to enable trainees to achieve their highest success.

Time management for STEMM students during the continuing pandemic.

One of the biggest obstacles to success is a lack of practical time management skills. Here, we provide suggestions on how to optimize time management.

Developing cultural humility in immunology and STEMM mentoring.

Cultural humility allows a better understanding and appreciation of others, as well as fostering positive interactions with different kinds of individuals. Here, we discuss the difficulties faced by persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs) in immunology and science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), as well as the importance of cultural humility in research and academia.

Technology accountability groups: A novel form of technology learning and support for graduate students and faculty in STEM.

In academia, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), writing accountability groups have emerged as an effective technique to enhance writing productivity by offering structure, increasing the commitment to write, and fostering social commitment. The rapid development of technology has introduced a new challenge across STEM fields: technostress, where individuals face heightened stress due to novel applications of technology. To address this, we introduce Technology Accountability Groups (TAGs), a novel form of community support for graduate students and faculty. TAGs are tailored to help individuals navigate technological innovations, alleviate technostress, acquire new skills, motivate, and connect with leaders in the field. This paper presents a framework for establishing, implementing, and sustaining TAGs in STEM.

The power of junior faculty mentoring committees.

Junior faculty mentoring committees have important roles in ensuring that faculty thrive and adjust to their new positions and institutions. Here, we describe the purpose, structure, and benefits of junior faculty mentoring committees, which can be a powerful tool for early-career academic investigators in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical (STEMM) fields. There is a paucity of information about what mentoring committees are, how to use them effectively, what areas they should evaluate, and how they can most successfully help junior faculty progress in their careers. This work offers guidance for both junior faculty mentees and mentoring committee members on how to best structure and utilize mentoring committees to promote junior faculty success. A better understanding of the intricacies of the mentoring committee will allow junior faculty members to self-advocate and will equip committee mentors with tools to ensure that junior faculty are successful in thriving in academia.

The graduate school guide: How to prepare for the qualifying exam and assemble a thesis/graduate committee.

Qualifying exams and thesis committees are crucial components of a PhD candidate's journey. However, many candidates have trouble navigating these milestones and knowing what to expect. This article provides advice on meeting the requirements of the qualifying exam, understanding its format and components, choosing effective preparation strategies, retaking the qualifying exam, if necessary, and selecting a thesis committee, all while maintaining one's mental health. This comprehensive guide addresses components of the graduate school process that are often neglected.

Speaking up for the invisible minority: First-generation students in higher education.

A first-generation college student is typically defined as a student whose biological parent(s) or guardian(s) never attended college or who started but did not finish college. However, "first-generation" can represent diverse family education situations. The first-generation student community is a multifaceted, and intersectional group of individuals who frequently lack educational/financial resources to succeed and, consequently, require supportive environments with rigorous mentorship. However, first-generation students often do not make their identity as first-generation students known to others due to several psychosocial and academic factors. Therefore, they are often "invisible minorities" in higher education. In this paper, we describe the diverse family situations of first-generation students, further define "first-generation," and suggest five actions that first-generation trainees at the undergraduate/graduate stages can engage in to succeed in an academic climate. We also provide suggestions for mentors to accommodate first-generation students' unique experiences and equip them with tools to deliver intentional mentoring practices. We hope that this paper will help promote first-generation student success throughout the academic pipeline.

Running a successful STEMM summer program: A week-by-week guide.

While some established undergraduate summer programs are effective across many institutions, these programs may only be available to some principal investigators or may not fully address the diverse needs of incoming undergraduates. This article outlines a 10-week science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) education program designed to prepare undergraduate students for graduate school through a unique model incorporating mentoring dyads and triads, cultural exchanges, and diverse activities while emphasizing critical thinking, research skills, and cultural sensitivity. Specifically, we offer a straightforward and adaptable guide that we have used for mentoring undergraduate students in a laboratory focused on mitochondria and microscopy, but which may be customized for other disciplines. Key components include self-guided projects, journal clubs, various weekly activities such as mindfulness training and laboratory techniques, and a focus on individual and cultural expression. Beyond this unique format, this 10-week program also seeks to offer an intensive research program that emulates graduate-level experiences, offering an immersive environment for personal and professional development, which has led to numerous achievements for past students, including publications and award-winning posters.

Ablation of Sam50 is associated with fragmentation and alterations in metabolism in murine and human myotubes.

The sorting and assembly machinery (SAM) Complex is responsible for assembling ß-barrel proteins in the mitochondrial membrane. Comprising three subunits, Sam35, Sam37, and Sam50, the SAM complex connects the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes by interacting with the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system complex. Sam50, in particular, stabilizes the mitochondrial intermembrane space bridging (MIB) complex, which is crucial for protein transport, respiratory chain complex assembly, and regulation of cristae integrity. While the role of Sam50 in mitochondrial structure and metabolism in skeletal muscle remains unclear, this study aims to investigate its impact. Serial block-face-scanning electron microscopy and computer-assisted 3D renderings were employed to compare mitochondrial structure and networking in Sam50-deficient myotubes from mice and humans with wild-type (WT) myotubes. Furthermore, autophagosome 3D structure was assessed in human myotubes. Mitochondrial metabolic phenotypes were assessed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-based metabolomics to explore differential changes in WT and Sam50-deficient myotubes. The results revealed increased mitochondrial fragmentation and autophagosome formation in Sam50-deficient myotubes compared to controls. Metabolomic analysis indicated elevated metabolism of propanoate and several amino acids, including ß-Alanine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine, along with increased amino acid and fatty acid metabolism in Sam50-deficient myotubes. Furthermore, impairment of oxidative capacity was observed upon Sam50 ablation in both murine and human myotubes, as measured with the XF24 Seahorse Analyzer. Collectively, these findings support the critical role of Sam50 in establishing and maintaining mitochondrial integrity, cristae structure, and mitochondrial metabolism. By elucidating the impact of Sam50-deficiency, this study enhances our understanding of mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle.

Three-dimensional mitochondria reconstructions of murine cardiac muscle changes in size across aging.

With sparse treatment options, cardiac disease remains a significant cause of death among humans. As a person ages, mitochondria breakdown and the heart becomes less efficient. Heart failure is linked to many mitochondria-associated processes, including endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial bioenergetics, insulin signaling, autophagy, and oxidative stress. The roles of key mitochondrial complexes that dictate the ultrastructure, such as the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS), in aging cardiac muscle are poorly understood. To better understand the cause of age-related alteration in mitochondrial structure in cardiac muscle, we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and serial block facing-scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to quantitatively analyze the three-dimensional (3-D) networks in cardiac muscle samples of male mice at aging intervals of 3 mo, 1 yr, and 2 yr. Here, we present the loss of cristae morphology, the inner folds of the mitochondria, across age. In conjunction with this, the three-dimensional (3-D) volume of mitochondria decreased. These findings mimicked observed phenotypes in murine cardiac fibroblasts with CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of Mitofilin, Chchd3, Chchd6 (some members of the MICOS complex), and Opa1, which showed poorer oxidative consumption rate and mitochondria with decreased mitochondrial length and volume. In combination, these data show the need to explore if loss of the MICOS complex in the heart may be involved in age-associated mitochondrial and cristae structural changes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article shows how mitochondria in murine cardiac changes, importantly elucidating age-related changes. It also is the first to show that the MICOS complex may play a role in outer membrane mitochondrial structure.

Mitochondrial Connexins and Mitochondrial Contact Sites with Gap Junction Structure.

Mitochondria contain connexins, a family of proteins that is known to form gap junction channels. Connexins are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum and oligomerized in the Golgi to form hemichannels. Hemichannels from adjacent cells dock with one another to form gap junction channels that aggregate into plaques and allow cell-cell communication. Cell-cell communication was once thought to be the only function of connexins and their gap junction channels. In the mitochondria, however, connexins have been identified as monomers and assembled into hemichannels, thus questioning their role solely as cell-cell communication channels. Accordingly, mitochondrial connexins have been suggested to play critical roles in the regulation of mitochondrial functions, including potassium fluxes and respiration. However, while much is known about plasma membrane gap junction channel connexins, the presence and function of mitochondrial connexins remain poorly understood. In this review, the presence and role of mitochondrial connexins and mitochondrial/connexin-containing structure contact sites will be discussed. An understanding of the significance of mitochondrial connexins and their connexin contact sites is essential to our knowledge of connexins' functions in normal and pathological conditions, and this information may aid in the development of therapeutic interventions in diseases linked to mitochondria.

Visualization of Annular Gap Junction Vesicle Processing: The Interplay Between Annular Gap Junctions and Mitochondria.

It is becoming clear that in addition to gap junctions playing a role in cell⁻cell communication, gap junction proteins (connexins) located in cytoplasmic compartments may have other important functions. Mitochondrial connexin 43 (Cx43) is increased after ischemic preconditioning and has been suggested to play a protective role in the heart. How Cx43 traffics to the mitochondria and the interactions of mitochondria with other Cx43-containing structures are unclear. In this study, immunocytochemical, super-resolution, and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect cytoplasmic Cx43-containing structures and to demonstrate their interactions with other cytoplasmic organelles. The most prominent cytoplasmic Cx43-containing structures-annular gap junctions-were demonstrated to form intimate associations with lysosomes as well as with mitochondria. Surprisingly, the frequency of associations between mitochondria and annular gap junctions was greater than that between lysosomes and annular gap junctions. The benefits of annular gap junction/mitochondrial associations are not known. However, it is tempting to suggest, among other possibilities, that the contact between annular gap junction vesicles and mitochondria facilitates Cx43 delivery to the mitochondria. Furthermore, it points to the need for investigating annular gap junctions as more than only vesicles destined for degradation.

Molecular mechanisms regulating formation, trafficking and processing of annular gap junctions.

Internalization of gap junction plaques results in the formation of annular gap junction vesicles. The factors that regulate the coordinated internalization of the gap junction plaques to form annular gap junction vesicles, and the subsequent events involved in annular gap junction processing have only relatively recently been investigated in detail. However it is becoming clear that while annular gap junction vesicles have been demonstrated to be degraded by autophagosomal and endo-lysosomal pathways, they undergo a number of additional processing events. Here, we characterize the morphology of the annular gap junction vesicle and review the current knowledge of the processes involved in their formation, fission, fusion, and degradation. In addition, we address the possibility for connexin protein recycling back to the plasma membrane to contribute to gap junction formation and intercellular communication. Information on gap junction plaque removal from the plasma membrane and the subsequent processing of annular gap junction vesicles is critical to our understanding of cell-cell communication as it relates to events regulating development, cell homeostasis, unstable proliferation of cancer cells, wound healing, changes in the ischemic heart, and many other physiological and pathological cellular phenomena.

Redistribution of connexin 43 during cell division.

Gap junction channels, once clustered into gap junction plaques, allow communication of essential metabolites between cells. Gap junction plaques have been reported to be lost from the cell surface during cell division. The mechanism involved in this loss of gap junction plaques during mitosis is unclear, but we hypothesize that an endoexocytotic mechanism that results in cytoplasmic double-membraned annular gap junction vesicles is involved. In this study, gap junction plaque changes in dividing cells were examined in SW-13 adrenocortical tumor cells. Endogenous gap junction protein, connexin 43 (Cx43), was detected with immunofluorescence, and live cell imaging was used to monitor green fluorescent protein-tagged Cx43 (Cx43-GFP). Mitotic stages were identified by Hoechst chromosomal staining. During interphase, large gap junction plaques were detected; however, the presence of these plaques decreased, whereas cytoplasmic puncta increased beginning with prophase. The cytoplasmic puncta were demonstrated with immunoelectron microscopy to be Cx43- positive annular gap junction vesicles. As gap junction plaques reformed at cleavage furrows between daughter cells, the number of annular gap junctions decreased during cytokinesis. The data are consistent with the mechanism of gap junction plaque loss during mitosis relying on an endoexocytotic process that results in annular gap junction vesicles formation. The rapid formation of gap junction plaques during cytokinesis points to the intriguing possibility of connexin recycling from annular gap junction vesicles to form gap junction plaques as mitosis is completed.

Visualizing the effect of dynamin inhibition on annular gap vesicle formation and fission.

Although gap junction plaque assembly has been extensively studied, mechanisms involved in plaque disassembly are not well understood. Disassembly involves an internalization process in which annular gap junction vesicles are formed. These vesicles undergo fission, but the molecular machinery needed for these fissions has not been described. The mechanoenzyme dynamin has been previously demonstrated to play a role in gap junction plaque internalization. To investigate the role of dynamin in annular gap junction vesicle fission, immunocytochemical, time-lapse and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze SW-13 adrenocortical cells in culture. Dynamin was demonstrated to colocalize with gap junction plaques and vesicles. Dynamin inhibition, by siRNA knockdown or treatment with the dynamin GTPase inhibitor dynasore, increased the number and size of gap junction 'buds' suspended from the gap junction plaques. Buds, in control populations, were frequently released to form annular gap junction vesicles. In dynamin-inhibited populations, the buds were larger and infrequently released and thus fewer annular gap junction vesicles were formed. In addition, the number of annular gap junction vesicle fissions per hour was reduced in the dynamin-inhibited populations. We believe this to be the first report addressing the details of annular gap junction vesicle fissions and demonstrating a role of dynamin in this process. This information is crucial for elucidating the relationship between gap junctions, membrane regulation and cell behavior.

A review of undergraduate research programs aimed at underrepresented students.

It is well-understood that the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have unique challenges that discourage recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities. Research programs aimed at undergraduates have arisen as a critical mechanism for fostering innovation and addressing the challenges faced by underrepresented minorities. Here, we review various undergraduate research programs designed to provide exposure to undergraduates, with a focus on underrepresented minorities in STEM disciplines. We provide insight into selected programs' objectives, key features, potential limitations, and outcomes. We also offer recommendations for future improvements of each research program, particularly in the context of mentorship. These programs range from broad-reaching initiatives (e.g., Leadership Alliance) to more specific programs targeting underrepresented students. By offering a nuanced understanding of each program's structure, we seek to provide a brief overview of the landscape of diversity-focused STEM initiatives and a guide on how to run a research program effectively.

Methods to Utilize Pulse Wave Velocity to Measure Alterations in Cerebral and Cardiovascular Parameters.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a global health issue, affecting over 6 million in the United States, with that number expected to increase as the aging population grows. As a neurodegenerative disorder that affects memory and cognitive functions, it is well established that AD is associated with cardiovascular risk factors beyond only cerebral decline. However, the study of cerebrovascular techniques for AD is still evolving. Here, we provide reproducible methods to measure impedance-based pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of arterial stiffness, in the systemic vascular (aortic PWV) and in the cerebral vascular (cerebral PWV) systems. Using aortic impedance and this relatively novel technique of cerebral impedance to comprehensively describe the systemic vascular and the cerebral vascular systems, we examined the sex-dependent differences in 5x transgenic mice (5XFAD) with AD under normal and high-fat diet, and in wild-type mice under a normal diet. Additionally, we validated our method for measuring cerebrovascular impedance in a model of induced stress in 5XFAD. Together, our results show that sex and diet differences in wildtype and 5XFAD mice account for very minimal differences in cerebral impedance. Interestingly, 5XFAD, and not wildtype, male mice on a chow diet show higher cerebral impedance, suggesting pathological differences. Opposingly, when we subjected 5XFAD mice to stress, we found that females showed elevated cerebral impedance. Using this validated method of measuring impedance-based aortic and cerebral PWV, future research may explore the effects of modifying factors including age, chronic diet, and acute stress, which may mediate cardiovascular risk in AD.

Defining Mitochondrial Cristae Morphology Changes Induced by Aging in Brown Adipose Tissue.

Mitochondria are required for energy production and even give brown adipose tissue (BAT) its characteristic color due to their high iron content and abundance. The physiological function and bioenergetic capacity of mitochondria are connected to the structure, folding, and organization of its inner-membrane cristae. During the aging process, mitochondrial dysfunction is observed, and the regulatory balance of mitochondrial dynamics is often disrupted, leading to increased mitochondrial fragmentation in aging cells. Therefore, it is hypothesized that significant morphological changes in BAT mitochondria and cristae will be present with aging. A quantitative 3D electron microscopy approach is developed to map cristae network organization in mouse BAT to test this hypothesis. Using this methodology, the 3D morphology of mitochondrial cristae is investigated in adult (3-month) and aged (2-year) murine BAT tissue via serial block face-scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) and 3D reconstruction software for manual segmentation, analysis, and quantification. Upon investigation, an increase is found in mitochondrial volume, surface area, and complexity and decreased sphericity in aged BAT, alongside significant decreases in cristae volume, area, perimeter, and score. Overall, these data define the nature of the mitochondrial structure in murine BAT across aging.